The Philadelphia Eagles were one of several teams hoping to land Maxx Crosby this offseason, but they lost out on that opportunity after the Baltimore Ravens agreed to send two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for the star defender — or so the Eagles thought. On Tuesday, the Raiders announced that Baltimore pulled out of the trade, meaning that Crosby is still available for Philadelphia.
The shocking announcement has flipped the NFL offseason on its head, but it’s a reminder that nothing is official until the start of the new league year, on March 11, and that all trades are pending physicals. The Ravens reportedly pulled out of the deal for medical reasons, but what’s considered an issue is relative to each team. While Baltimore may not be comfortable trading for Crosby, the Eagles could still be willing to acquire the defender.
Eagles could still land Maxx Crosby after Ravens pull out of trade with Raiders
Crosby is still officially a member of the Raiders, but it’s unlikely that he will remain with the team. For starters, he and Las Vegas have both made it clear that they’re ready to go in different directions. Additionally, the Raiders have already committed a ton of money to free agency moves that they made with the thought that they wouldn’t be paying Crosby’s salary. In order for those moves to become official, Las Vegas will need to get Crosby off their roster by Wednesday, 4:00 pm ET.
That's great news for the Eagles, because they have another shot at acquiring the defensive end, and a package for Crosby will now likely be cheaper. Teams know the defender may have some health issue, and they are also aware that Las Vegas is motivated to get him off the roster quickly. That should result in him being traded for a cheaper package than two first-round picks, and Eagles’ general manager Howie Roseman should be on the phone to see what that package is.
Adding Crosby to the Eagles would take the defense to another level, and it’s a move that’s especially needed since Jaelan Phillips is headed to the Carolina Panthers. If Philadelphia wants to get back to the Super Bowl, the franchise needs to take advantage of this rare second opportunity.